


criostail

by eternalwind



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Angst, Character Death, I have fears so now you shall have them too, Multi, Mutual Pining, Post-Patch 5.0: Shadowbringers, this is me just taking the death flags and running with them, welcome to the exangst party
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-04
Updated: 2020-03-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:48:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23011252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eternalwind/pseuds/eternalwind
Summary: The little crystal is sobeautifullyblue, like the clear sky you had fought so hard to bring back for this world; a contrast to his red and a perfect fitting for his Crystal Tower.It burns in your hand.
Relationships: G'raha Tia | Crystal Exarch/Warrior of Light
Comments: 19
Kudos: 47





	criostail

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, yes, it's me some with Crystal Exangst. Hope you like it! Thanks to Mayu for always indulging me with angst (also fluff) and fearing with me whenever a patch looms closer.  
> -  
> EDIT: 22/07/2020 DID Y'ALL SEE THAT 5.3 TRAILER LMFAOOOOOO I SWEAR TO GOD

"You can't do this. I won't let you."

It comes out of you with bite, with venom, a _warning_ that's clawing its way out of your throat before you can stop it when you hear his suggestion. You're furious, but not at him. Never at him.

The hurt, however, is another matter. It grips at your heart like a vice, squeezing harder the more you look at his tired red eyes.

The Crystal Ex–no, _G'raha Tia_ looks at you from the other side if the Ocular, looking nonplussed at your threat. He knows very well you will act on it if you get the chance.

He shakes his head and it makes you want to grab his shoulders and shake him instead to shove some sense into him. "There is no other way."

"Like the Void there isn't," you snap, half glad that your fellow Scions aren't here to witness your emotions burning you both like wildfire. The other half of you wishes they were here instead of back in the Source to knock some sense into him. Hell, you'd even let Alisaie dropkick him and carry him out like a sack of popotoes if it'd take that for him to drop that _stupid idea_ of his _._ _"Becoming one with the Tower_ isn't the solution, G'raha, what if you never come back? This isn't like when you went into your slumber, you and I both know it!"

He winces visibly, avoiding your gaze. You simmer down at that, your worry and panic of losing G'raha to this wretched world after everything you two went through eating your anger away. 

This world ruin brought by the Emissary can try and take G'raha away from you, but you will fight against it with all you have left. Of that, you're sure.

By the look he gives you, full of sadness and regret, you know he knows this too, and he won't let you.

"I am sorry, my friend."

But you won't relent.

"Please, Raha."

He almost stops breathing, and it's with gritted teeth and held back tears that he casts, before you can stop him:

_"Repose."_

The way his voice cracks breaks your heart, and it's the last sound you hear before you sense your world falling apart and your legs losing their strength.

The last thing you feel is his arms catching you, right before you fall asleep.

* * *

Something–or someone–is shaking you. Screams reach your ears and smoke fills your nostrils down to your throat, suffering a coughing fit that leaves you too dizzy to stand.

"Warrior!" A commanding voice that feels familiar yells next to your ear, making you wince and groan in response. "My friend, are you alright?!"

Your eyes snap open, meeting a pair of pink eyes right next to your face. The smell of smoke is growing stronger, a telltale of the hell let loose in all of Lakeland, thanks to Elidibus. "Lyna…?" You sniff.

"Wicked white, as if I didn't have enough heart attacks already today. The damn sky turns red, fire starts to rain and if this wind grows any stronger I'm sure it could topple the whole Crystarium over!" In a panic, she tugs you up a bit more forcefully that she means to, but you don't mind–this is not the time. "The Cabinet of Curiosity is on fire, we luckily have enough people to hold the monsters back but I can't find the Exarch and—"

 _That_ puts you in high alert, suddenly remembering what had happened. Adrenaline pumps in your veins as you almost shake Lyna. "Where is he?! Have you seen him?!"

"I… I haven't seen him leave the Crystal Tower! I thought he was with you!"

_Oh no._

Without giving her an explanation, because you know each second counts and you pray to the Twelve _please don't let it be too late, please G'raha whatever you're thinking please don't do it_ you bolt out the Ocular door with Lyna yelling your name behind you.

If he hasn't gone out, that means he's still in.

So you run up all the familiar crystalline stairs, golden and crystal blue walls mocking you with their coldness as you see the blood red sky out of the windows, fire raining down on the First.

* * *

You see it as soon as you finish your climb up the red-carpeted stage of the Final Curtain, where you'd faced Amon long ago. Most of the stage is still burnt, but it's the only quick thought you give to it before you keep running up to the Emperor's Throne.

All across the round blue arena where you'd faced Xander back in the day, sitting on the golden throne embedded into the immaculate crystal, you see a spot of red, a stark contrast against the shining blue.

It's like the vice around your heart has grown ten sizes and now claims your stomach, thorns digging until it hurts. Fear clenches your throat and stings your eyes. _I can't lose him. Not him too._

"G'raha!"

He doesn't move. It's all you need to keep running towards him despite your aching legs, almost collapsing when climbing up those final three giant steps to reach the throne. The marred crystal feels hard and cold and leaves bruises in your legs and arms, but _you don't care._ With the little strength you have left, ignoring the red sky above as best you can, you try to lift him up, but it's like he's glued to the damn thing.

Panicking, you try to reach for his pulse on his neck, where you know he has no crystal–

except there is crystal _all around_ his neck, up to his chin.

You're horrified to finally see his face is half crystallized when right before this whole mess, when you last argued, it _wasn't_. His other arm that was all warm skin and gave you gentle touches and brushes is now _also_ crystal, and you finally see why you couldn't lift him: his legs, fully crystallized, have now blended into the throne.

Fear paralyzes you when it finally dawns on you, his words dancing back into your mind.

_"I'll have to become one with the Crystal Tower. Give back the power it lent me, so it can protect the people."_

You want to pull out your axe, your lance, your greatsword and smash the throne into pieces if it means it will free G'raha. You want to pull out your cane and rod and break them, to rip your cards and books apart and set them on fire in frustration–

You'd destroy it all if it meant saving him from all of this, a fate he doesn't deserve yet seems to chase him like a shadow and won't cease its hunt until it has him. You've pulled and pulled him towards you relentlessly, but now...

The Warrior of Light and Darkness kneels in front of the throne, desperate for a sign, grabbing the ends of the Crystal Exarch's tunic that aren't yet crystallized and begging for him to stay.

"Please," _if there are any gods above, please_ , "I beg you, G'raha, don't leave me, not you too, please…"

He looks too beautiful, almost like he's asleep, but you know better.

The vice grips harder at your heart as your eyes sting, and for the third time in your life since you've become a beacon of hope to the people, you begin to cry, not caring if your tears stain the red of his tunic. Your hands grip harder at the silk, hard enough your nails leave crescent marks in the palm of your hands, yet it's not enough to ground you.

A weight settles on your head and your head snaps up, meeting red eyes looking sadly at you as his hand keeps running gently through your hair.

There are tears running down his face. The sight makes you cry even harder, unable to stop.

"Don't cry, please," he begs, voice broken and your heart can't handle it. It makes it worse. "It kills me to see you like this, my warrior."

A part of you wants to snort and say it's his fault, the other wants to hold him and give him your heart before it's too late.

His hand is so soothing, and yet your heart is up your throat. Still, you swallow and bury your face in your arms, right over his legs, as his hand keeps running through your hair in an attempt to soothe you, to soothe his warrior.

His other hand gently cradles your head up as he presses his lips to your forehead. You don't dare to breathe as he lingers, a crystallized thumb gently running down your temple. It's all you've ever wanted, and _it hurts_ beyond anything you could've faced up to this point. No monster, no hellish creature that has managed to land a hit on you, can compare to this.

The vice around your heart tightens even harder, and then your heart truly, fully breaks.

You know G'raha will take a piece of it with him.

"You are the greatest person I've ever met. I want you to know that."

He has the _audacity_ to say that.

It takes you a few times and a few swallows before you find your voice. "Raha," you don't miss how his eyes widen at you using his name like this, just like before, but you're beyond caring at this point. He already knows he has your heart, and you want him to know you'd hold his as dearly if he let you, "I'm so tired of losing the people I love… I can't lose you too, please…"

G'raha looks pained as he joins his forehead to yours: the crystal is slowly growing across his cheeks now, his hair slowly growing white: you want to scream at all of it to stop. 

"I'm so, so sorry...."

_This was bound to happen at some point._

You bury your face against his tunic once again and scream, his hands cradling your head while he gently shushes you. His body shakes as wet drops fall on your head and you're half glad you can't hear him sobbing, because it would break you even more. Your knees hurt so badly, damaged by the crystal, but you can't bring yourself to care. 

The wind howls. Something cracks above you, but you can't bear to look up–

"Seeing you again, even for a second, was worth all endeavours I've faced."

You shake your head, trying to make your voice work. "What… What about the adventures you said you wanted to live with me? What about that promise we made about travelling the lands and cross the seas and–"

"–take to the skies upon the eternal wind," you feel his lips curve into a smile against the crown of your head. The cracking gets louder, yet you still dare not to look. "When you feel the wind, think of me, and I'll be right there by your side, even if you can't see me. Remember this, and remember me."

When his hands leave your head, you finally pull yourself to look up, knowing what you'll see will probably haunt your nights to come.

His face is fully crystallized, his skin a blinding blue, cracks growing over his skin like vines. A beautiful statue, about to break.

Yet he simply smiles at you before his skin grows lighter and lighter until it blinds you to the point you have to close your eyes again. An explosion of light throws you backwards onto the arena and the throne just _cracks._

You open your eyes to see tiny bits of crystal floating upon the sky, and for a moment everything stops, until you realize you're holding something warm in your hand as if your life depends on it.

_A piece of my heart, only for you._

You keel over and scream until you have no air left, holding the piece of crystal that fits in the palm of your hand tight against your chest.

* * *

When they find the Warrior of Darkness, they find their respected hero curled over on the floor, shaking, holding a piece of crystal so tight it even drew blood at some point. 

The Warrior doesn't speak, just stares at the piece that looks carved right out of the now broken throne.

It's so _beautifully_ blue, like the clear sky above.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't trust SE, but I thought if they're going to end off the Exarch (please don't) at least make him go as beautiful crystal. I dunno. I always liked the crystal stasis concept in xiii and just took it and ran with it. Made up the end of the world because Elidibus can't sit still, the little shit, and G'raha has to go poof with the tower.
> 
> I mean, I think the Exarch will poof, but dunno how. When. Or why. I'd rather he stay safe tho.
> 
> I'm fearing for 5.3 and 5.4. Brrrr.


End file.
